


A Haysian Custom

by kayson



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Explicit Consent, F/M, Friendly kisses, Get Together, M/M, Mentions of Masturbation, Misunderstandings, alcohol use, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 18:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13370169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayson/pseuds/kayson
Summary: Written for this (paraphrased) prompt on the kink meme:Rose wakes up and she has to explain what she did to Finn before she passed out (because Finn doesn't even know what the word for kissing is) and she tells him it's something you do to show you care deeply about someone. Rose is from a planet where closed mouth kisses really ARE the norm for good friends and the result is Finn going around the rebel base letting his new friends know how much he cares about them... and then someone tells Poe what's going on.Poe wants to make sure he's the only one getting tongue.





	A Haysian Custom

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my best friend and plot master extraordinaire SealyMoon for letting me ramble about this fic and for listening to me read the whole thing out loud (more than once) to make sure it all made sense. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this fic but it kind of got away from me and turned out to be over 20,000 words. Eep! Hope you all enjoy :) 
> 
> Link to the original prompt on the kinkmeme here: https://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/5217.html?thread=11932257#cmt11932257

“Kriff!”

 

“Poe?” Finn asked sleepily, waking in the dark as he heard the sound of someone stumbling around. He guessed that Poe had been getting ready to leave for the morning and had tripped. The room they were currently sharing wasn’t very small but Finn had quickly learned that Poe was not the tidiest of men and he routinely left his things scattered on the floor of his side of the room.

 

“Sorry, Finn, did I wake you?” Poe asked guiltily. “I dropped my boots.”

 

BB-8 whirred and beeped, sounding to Finn as though he were scolding his master and making Finn grin.

 

“I know,” Poe grumbled at the droid. “Shhh.”

 

“Lights on sixty percent,” Finn said, pushing himself into a sitting position on his bed and rubbing his eyes. “What time is it?”

 

“Too early to get up,” Poe replied, sitting on his own bed and tugging on his boots. When Finn just raised his eyebrows, Poe answered, “An hour after dawn.”

 

“You’re working this early?” Finn asked curiously, looking from Poe to BB-8 as BB-8 rolled back and forth impatiently.

 

“Mission,” Poe answered, getting to his feet and reaching for his flight suit. He tugged it on quickly and BB-8 let out an excited whirr. “Should be back sometime tomorrow or the next day.”

 

“Oh,” Finn said, trying not to look disappointed. He’d enjoyed spending the last few days with Poe and Rey as they worked with the Resistance to get the old rebel base of Cardooine in working order.

 

Poe smiled at him in a lopsided manner and said, “Don’t worry, buddy, you’ll barely notice I’m gone.”

 

Finn doubted Poe’s words but didn’t bother arguing. “Good luck on your mission.”

 

“Thanks. See you soon,” Poe said and gave Finn a quick wave before he pressed the door release and left the room with BB-8.

 

Finn sighed and got out of bed, thinking that now that he was awake, he might as well get ready for the day and go check on Rose.

 

~*~*~

 

Once he finished showering, Finn made his bed, ensuring the corners were tucked in neatly out of habit, and left the room to check on Rose in medbay. They’d only been on Cardooine for six days but Finn had hoped Rose would have woken up by now. When he’d asked the previous day, the medics had told him they weren’t concerned, that her body was recovering as expected, and Finn tried to take comfort in their expertise.

 

As soon as he entered medbay, Keshla, the Togruta medic he’d met on the Millennium Falcon, waved him over with a smile. “Rose is eating breakfast now.”

 

Finn stared at the woman, taking a moment to process her words before asking excitedly, “You mean, she’s awake?”

 

Keshla nodded, a smile tugging at her lips as she motioned towards Rose’s room. “You can visit her. I’m sure she’d like the company.”

 

Finn nodded and hurried down the hall before belatedly remembering his manners and calling, “Thank you!” over his shoulder. He heard Keshla chuckle and turned around to wave at her before barging straight inside Rose’s room.

 

When he walked through the door, Finn found Rose propped up on her bed with several pillows to support her back as she slowly ate breakfast from a lap tray. He wondered if he should have knocked but the thought evaporated when Rose looked up from her breakfast with a huge grin on her face.

 

“You’re really alright,” she said with relief, beckoning him over to her and offering him a piece of fruit from her breakfast tray. “I mean, they told me you were but I wasn’t allowed to go look for myself.”

 

“I’m fine,” Finn reassured her, shaking his head at the offered fruit. “You should eat all of it. You’ve been out for days.”

 

Rose put the fruit back on her tray and held her hand out to Finn, motioning him closer. “I was so worried when I thought you were going to-to--” she broke off, unable to finish, and Finn gingerly sat down on her bed, taking care not to jostle any of her injuries.

 

“You saved me,” Finn told her, echoing the words she’d said to him back on Crait. “I never got the chance to thank you.”

 

Tears threatened to spill over Rose’s eyes as she smiled at him. She suddenly leaned forwards to press her lips gently to his, much to Finn’s confusion. It lasted no more than a second and when she pulled away, she was beaming at him. “You’re welcome.”

 

Finn smiled hesitantly back at her before touching his hand to his mouth in question. “Um, about that…”

 

Rose frowned and cocked her head to the side in question. “What? The kiss?”

 

“Kiss?” Finn asked uncertainty. He’d heard the word before but he wasn’t certain he knew the meaning. He had always thought kissing had to do with sexual relations and those had been strictly forbidden by the First Order so he’d never asked any questions of his superiors or his fellow Stormtroopers. They had watched him closely enough and he had tried to avoid giving them more reasons to do so.

 

“Yeah,” Rose replied, bemused. “Haven’t you ever been kissed before, silly?”

 

“Um, no,” Finn answered, looking wrongfooted. “Should I have? Am I supposed to kiss people in the Resistance?” He looked at the door to make sure no one else was there and then turned back to Rose, asking quietly, “How do I do it?”

 

Finn stared, perplexed, as Rose started laughing.

 

“You really are silly.” She nudged him with her elbow and Finn climbed off her bed to stand awkwardly at her side as she continued giggling. “Go on with you, saying you’ve never been kissed before.”

 

Finn started to feel hurt, thinking she was making a joke at his expense. Some of his feelings must have shown on his face because Rose quickly sobered and said, “Finn, I’m sorry. You’ve really never been kissed?”

 

He shook his head before admitting, “I’m not even sure what that means.”

 

Rose smiled fondly at him and settled herself back on her pillows. “Well, there are lots of different kinds of kisses but the kind I just gave you, where you just touch your lips to another person’s, means that you care about them. It’s a greeting for my people; or a way of showing a good friend that they’re important to you.”

 

Finn nodded, feeling less puzzled but still not certain he understood the concept. Just to clarify, he asked, “So it’s not about…” he glanced at the door again, worried they’d be overheard, and dropped his voice as he said, “sexual relations?”

 

Rose looked horrified and quickly shook her head. “Oh, no! No, not for me. No.” She blushed and added quickly, “I don’t think of you...I mean, I don’t want to with you...I only wanted you to know that, um, you’re my friend and I’m happy you’re alive.”

 

“Good,” Finn answered, feeling relieved. He leaned forward to press his lips chastely against Rose’s for the barest fraction of a second. When he pulled back, he bit his lip before asking nervously, “Is that right?”

 

All of the tension left Rose’s body and she giggled, nodding. “Yeah, that’s right. On Hays Minor, where I’m from, you’d kiss a family member or a close friend like you just kissed me. Someone you love but aren’t _in love_ with, if you know what I mean.”

 

Finn nodded slowly, he thought he understood now and was interested in putting his new learning into practice. “So, kissing is a way to show someone you care about them or that you’re happy to see them? Kind of like hugging?”

 

Finn was familiar with hugs, both Poe and Rey had given him several hugs and he thought they kind of meant the same thing as how Rose described this kissing thing. He thought he would like to show his other friends how deeply he cared about them but wanted to make sure he did it right.

 

“Sort of,” Rose agreed, cocking her head to the side and frowning as though she was thinking seriously about his question. “I mean, kissing can mean other things. If you kiss someone with your mouth open or put your tongue in their mouth, it definitely is _not_ just a friendly greeting!”

 

“What do you mean?” Finn asked, confused once again. The concept had seemed so simple a moment before. “Why do other kisses have different meanings?” he probed. “And why would you put your tongue in someone else’s mouth?”

 

Rose giggled, blushing again. “Are you just teasing me?”

 

“No,” Finn told her honestly, sitting in the chair next to her bed and leaning forward intently. He had never had the chance to ask these kinds of questions before and no one else had ever mentioned kissing to him, let alone wanting to kiss him. “I’ve never kissed anyone before you. We weren’t allowed to kiss in the First Order.”

 

Rose’s eyes darkened as she growled, “Monsters.”

 

“Yeah,” Finn agreed. Wanting to change the subject, he asked quickly, “What do other kisses mean?”

 

Rose smiled again, all traces of her anger with the First Order gone as she replied slyly, “Well, they could mean _sexual relations._ ”

 

It was Finn’s turn to blush as Rose waggled her eyebrows in a comical fashion. He wasn’t sure he knew much more about sexual relations than he did about kissing but he was curious about that too. Poe’s face suddenly came to mind and Finn remembered watching Poe change out of his flight suit and into his pajamas the night before. Poe had teased him, asking Finn if he was enjoying the show, and Finn had only smiled. Was that related to this other kind of kissing or sexual relations?

 

“It’s like I told you,” Rose continued, grinning at Finn’s blush as she interrupted his thoughts. “Putting your tongue in someone’s mouth or biting their lip when you kiss them, that’s not a friendly greeting. That’s how you--” she waved her hands as though searching for the right words to explain.

 

“Show someone you’re in love with them?” Finn offered, remembering Rose’s words about what distinguished a greeting kiss. Could he kiss Poe in a way that wasn’t just a greeting? he wondered to himself. To Rose, he asked, “Like how General Organa loved Han Solo?”

 

“Yes,” Rose replied, looking relieved at how quickly Finn had grasped the concept. She glanced down at her breakfast tray and picked up the piece of fruit she had offered Finn a few minutes before. “Are you sure you don’t want any?”

 

~*~*~

 

Later that afternoon, well after Keshla had shooed Finn out of medbay claiming Rose needed rest, Finn was helping several of the surviving Resistance members sort through the old supplies they’d found in the Cardooine base when Lieutenant Connix found him.

 

“The General wants to speak with you,” she informed him, indicating that Finn was to follow her.

 

Finn put the box he was holding back on the shelf where he’d found it and quickly followed the Lieutenant out of the supply room. It didn’t take them very long to reach the office that General Organa had set up for herself and he hesitated when Connix motioned for him to go inside without her.

 

“It’s a private meeting,” Connix told him when he blinked at her in confusion.

 

“Oh,” Finn mumbled, hurrying inside and trying not to look worried. Was the General going to tell him she had no need of a former Stormtrooper? Did she think they had wasted resources on him when they’d healed his back?

 

“Sit down, Finn,” General Organa said with a small smile, “and don’t look so scared, I’m not going to bite.”

 

Finn laughed nervously and nearly tripped over the chair in his haste to do as she’d told him. “Sorry, General.”

 

General Organa simply looked amused. “I won’t keep you long, I know you’re helping to sort through the supplies.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Hopefully we’ll have more soon.”

 

“General?” Finn asked, wondering at what she meant. “Are you expecting someone?”

 

“Yes,” she replied, raising an eyebrow as she examined his face. “Didn’t Poe tell you?”

 

“Tell me what?” Finn frowned, trying to remember if Poe had said anything about his mission other than the length of time he expected to be gone. “Did you send him on a supply run?”

 

General Organa chuckled. “No, I sent him to rendevouz with the rest of his squadron and a few other pilots. Not all of them were lost against the First Order. They should be back tomorrow.” She shook her head and muttered, more to herself than to Finn, “Maybe that boy does know how to follow some of his orders.”

 

“Ma’am?” Finn asked curiously, not understanding. To him it sounded as though General Organa was criticizing Poe and while he knew the General had every right to do so, she was his commanding officer after all, he had been under the impression that Poe was among her favorites. At least, that was how it had seemed when they were all on the Millennium Falcon together heading to Cardooine - at her request, Poe had been a constant at her side. He’d even seen Poe hug the General. Now he wondered if Poe had ever kissed her, to show her he cared about her and was glad she was alive, the way Rose had kissed him.

 

“It’s nothing, Finn,” General Organa said, shaking her head as she watched him. “Poe isn’t actually the topic I’d like to discuss with you. Though I do know he’s quite fond of you.”

 

Finn squirmed, his stomach flipping over in that uncomfortable way it did whenever someone mentioned Poe around him.

 

“I’m...well, I’m fond of him too,” Finn mumbled, not sure why he felt his cheeks heating under the General’s scrutinizing look. He thought back to the conversation with Rose and the different types of kissing. Maybe he _could_ kiss Poe with his tongue in the other man’s mouth. Would Poe let him?

 

“He’s a good man,” General Organa informed him, her lips twitching as Finn absently touched his fingers to his mouth. “Anyway, I actually wanted to ask you about the role you’d like to hold with the Resistance.”

 

Finn started at the abrupt change in topic, dropping his hand to his lap. “Ma’am?”

 

General Organa chuckled. “Call me Leia.”

 

Finn thought about calling the war hero and former senator of the New Republic, General Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, by her first name and winced. There was no way he could do so, not after he’d seen how fearless she was or how she led her people with such intelligence and compassion. In the First Order, they’d been forbidden to use familiar names with their officers; in the Resistance, Finn wanted to use the titles because of how much he respected them.

 

 _Poe’s a Commander_ , Finn thought, the realization dawning on him that maybe he shouldn’t be on such familiar terms with Poe, even if they were sharing a room at the moment.

 

 _But he’s my friend,_ another part of him argued. _And maybe I want him to be more._ The thought caught him off guard and he wondered if perhaps this kissing business was more trouble than it was worth. The discussion with Rose had seemed to open up a whole part of him he hadn’t even been aware of before.

 

“Finn?” General Organa asked, drawing Finn out of his thoughts. “Did I lose you?”

 

“No, Ma’am,” Finn replied, straightening in his chair and trying not to look guilty. “You were saying, about my place in the Resistance?”

 

General Organa nodded, eyeing him thoughtfully. “There’s a place here for you, if you want it, but I need to know that you _want_ to be here. If you don’t, I’m sure we can arrange transport for you to wherever you’d like to go.”

 

Finn felt relief wash over him. He’d been so concerned she was going to throw him out, or worse, do something to make him forget his time with the Resistance and send him offworld without any memory of his new friends. DJ had said that the only way to live free was to not join but Finn thought of leaving the Resistance; of leaving Poe, Rose, Rey and the others he had met and respected and knew there was no way he could do so. He was going to fight for what he was starting to love.

 

“Thank you, General,” Finn said, dark eyes serious as the realization hit him - there was no turning back from this now. “I’d like a place with the Resistance. I’m a good shot and a fast learner, I’ll earn my keep here.”

 

“I know you will,” General Organa replied, looking deeply pleased. “We’re happy to have you among us.” She smiled at him as she looked him straight in the eye and added, “I’m happy to have you.”

 

Finn felt something uncurl inside of him, like a flower turning its face to the sun for the first time, and thought he understood now why Poe loved this woman. She was a strong figure, a true leader, and Finn knew he would do his best to serve her faithfully.

 

General Organa got to her feet in one fluid motion and Finn scrambled to do the same. “When more of our people arrive, we’ll find a more permanent sector for you but until then, helping around the base is most appreciated.”

 

“Of course, General,” Finn replied, thinking that there was no way he could just sit still while everyone else did their part to make the old rebel base habitable once again.

 

He turned to leave the room and then had a thought that made him turn back. He hurried towards General Organa, who was still smiling at him, and quickly pressed his lips against hers in a barely there kiss.

 

“Thank you,” he told her quietly when he pulled away.

 

General Organa looked a little stunned and for a moment, Finn wondered if he’d done the kissing wrong, but she suddenly chuckled and asked curiously, “What was that for?”

 

Finn blushed despite himself and said, “I was told it’s how you show someone you appreciate them.” He tried to stand up a little straighter but it was hard under her scrutinizing look. “Well, that’s what Rose, um, I mean, that’s what Rose Tico told me.”

 

“Rose?” the General repeated and then understanding crossed her face. “Oh, yes, your friend. The Haysian girl.” She shook her head, grinning. “I’d forgotten that custom.” She reached out to squeeze his hand and said kindly, “Thank you, Finn. It’s nice to be appreciated. I think we could all do with a little reminder that we're important to each other right now.”

 

Finn nodded, feeling a little embarrassed by his display of affection, and hurried out of the room to continue helping the others sort through supplies.

 

~*~*~

 

That evening, Finn was eating dinner with Rey, Chewbacca, and several of the remaining Resistance members, when Rose walked in to the mess hall. Finn noticed her immediately and jumped up to wave at her, accidentally knocking his food onto Rey’s lap.

 

“Finn!” she protested, trying to mop up the green stew with her napkin as it spread across her thighs and dribbled down her right leg towards the floor.

 

“Sorry,” he apologized, eyes wide in horror. He quickly reached for more napkins and tried to help, dabbing at Rey’s legs and only managing to spread the stew more thickly onto her clothing.

 

Rey shooed him away, laughing at his obvious mortification. “Stop, _stop_ , you’re just making it worse.”

 

Finn cringed, noticing that she was right and that her brown trousers were now smeared with the gelatinous, but delicious, green stew.

 

“I should probably wash these,” Rey muttered, getting to her feet and looking around before noticing what, or rather who, had made Finn so excited. She smiled as Rose walked towards them, a hand over her mouth to hide a grin as Rose had watched the exchange between Rey and Finn, and said to Finn, “Are you going to introduce us?”

 

Finn nodded and hurried to offer Rose a hand as she settled herself on a stool at the table. The other Resistance members quickly filled a tray of food for her and two of them called a greeting down the table, obviously already acquainted with Rose.

 

“Bo-Li! Qupp!” Rose cried, waving excitedly at the Bimm woman and man who had greeted her. “It’s good to see you.” She jumped to her feet and walked quickly over to Bo-Li and Qupp, stooping to press her lips gently against the other woman’s before turning and kissing the man.

 

“I didn’t know you were awake,” Bo-Li replied after the quick kiss, getting to her feet and hugging Rose tightly. “Already released from medbay, huh?”

 

Rose grinned and pulled away. “They said everything looks good. Just some bruises and those will heal with time.” She looked over at where Finn was hovering just a few feet away and waved him over, laughing. “Finn, this is Bo-Li and Qupp, they worked with my sister Paige.”

 

Finn thought he saw sadness flicker in Rose’s eyes as she mentioned her sister but it was quickly replaced with joy as Bo-Li stood up on tiptoes to kiss Finn in greeting, Qupp quickly doing the same.

 

“A friend of Rose’s is a friend of mine,” Bo-Li replied happily, squeezing Finn’s hands. “Thank you for watching over her.” Finn opened his mouth to say he’d barely done anything but Bo-Li shook her head to stop him. “I saw you, onboard the Millennium Falcon. I saw how you cared for her.”

 

Qupp smiled at Rose and nodded towards Finn. “He kept you warm and made sure you were safe during the jump to hyperspace.”

 

Finn cleared his throat, embarrassed by the extra attention as other members of the Resistance joined in to tell Rose how Finn had looked after her, but was unsure of what to say.

 

Rey saved him by walking over and stuffing a dirty napkin into her ruined trouser pocket before holding her hand out to Rose and saying, “Hi Rose, I’m Rey.”

 

“The Jedi?” Rose breathed, looking at Rey with something akin to awe as she shook Rey’s hand excitedly. “It’s so good to meet you!”

 

“Thanks,” Rey replied, eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled and laughed a bit nervously. “I’m not really a Jedi; not yet anyway.” She looked back at the table where the bowl of green stew the others had poured for Rose was likely starting to get cold. “Are you hungry?”

 

Rose nodded and turned back to Bo-Li and Qupp. “Can we catch up later?”

 

“Of course,” Bo-Li answered, grinning. “Qupp and I need to go to the hangar right now but my room is on the second level, third door. You can bunk with me, too. I don’t have a roommate yet.”

 

Rose’s eyes lit up with obvious delight and she nodded. “Thanks.” She waved to Bo-Li and Qupp before the short man and woman turned and walked away towards the mess hall door.

 

“C’mon, Rose,” Finn said, nodding towards the stew as he guided Rose back towards the stool. “You should eat, you need your strength.”

 

~*~*~

 

Several hours later, Finn was in hangar 1 aboard the Millennium Falcon with Rey and Chewbacca, trying to be helpful as they made some adjustments to the ship. Several of the birds from Temple Island on Anch-To, or what Finn enjoyed calling ‘Jedi Island’ just so that he could watch Rey roll her eyes, were perched around them making inquiring noises.

 

“They’re kind of cute,” Finn commented, watching the porgs flap their wings as they hopped a little closer to Chewbacca.

 

Chewie roared, waving his left hand at them, and then made grumbling noises at Rey, who laughed.

 

“You like them,” Rey informed him with a grin. “Now pass me that torque-spanner you’re holding.” She took the tool from him and started making a few adjustments inside the panel she was working on before sitting back to admire her handywork. “There, I think that should do it.”

 

Chewie bent down to examine what she’d done and then nodded, saying something else to her in Shyriiwook and making little waving motions with his hands.

 

“You’re tired?” Rey asked teasingly, looking up at Chewbacca. She tapped Finn on the arm and said, “I think that’s our cue to go back to base.”

 

“Huh?” Finn asked, unable to follow the conversation due to his lack of knowledge of Shyriiwook, and got to his feet. “Well, alright.” He stretched his arms above his head, enjoying the way his back popped to loosen the aches from the odd position he’d been sitting in. “I’m ready for bed.”

 

“So’s Chewie,” Rey said dryly, jerking her thumb towards the Wookie who had snatched a blanket off the back of a nearby chair and was dragging it down the hall of the ship towards where he slept. A few of the porgs hopped after him, making both Rey and Finn chuckle.

 

“I’ll walk you to your room,” Rey offered, and Finn nodded, following Rey off of the ship and back into hangar 1. It was quiet inside but a few Resistance members were still moving around, shifting supplies or inspecting some of the old A-Wings that they had found in the hangar of the old rebel base.

 

Hearing their names, they both turned and waved to Bo-Li, who was climbing around one of the old A-Wings, and called good night to her as they passed.

 

“Why did she kiss you earlier?” Rey asked Finn curiously when they had left the hangar. “I thought at first she was Rose’s partner but then Qupp kissed you too and Bo-Li mentioned only being her friend. I was confused.”

 

“Partner?” Finn asked, frowning. He was happy to answer Rey’s question but he didn’t understand the terminology she was using. He thought a partner was someone you worked with but Rey seemed to be using the word differently.

 

“Girlfriend,” Rey clarified, “or maybe wife?” She shrugged as though it didn’t make much of a difference to her. “I’ve never really been into that sort of thing, personally.”

 

Finn thought about someone trying to date Rey and he grinned. She was a beautiful girl and a wonderful friend but she never had given Finn any indication that she had that kind of interest in other beings. He remembered back to when he’d asked her if she had a boyfriend, a cute boyfriend, and she had barely dignified his question with a response. Now, he thought, she seemed pretty fixated on learning the ways of the Jedi and he doubted any other being could capture her attention in that way.

 

“Maybe you and Poe?” Rey suggested, bumping Finn gently with her shoulder and startling him at what he saw as an abrupt topic shift.

 

“Uh, what?” he squeaked before quickly clearing his throat and asking in a much more normal voice, “Why would you say that?”

 

Rey laughed at his wide eyed expression. “I thought you liked him.”

 

“I do!” Finn agreed then looked around, hoping no one else had heard his admission, and saw that the hallway was clear. “I mean, he’s my friend, of course I like him. I like you, don’t I?”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow as though to say Finn couldn’t really be comparing the two of them, could he? “You know that’s different. You’re like a brother and I don’t think your feelings for Poe, or his feelings for you for that matter, are very brotherly.”

 

Finn just stared at her, mouth agape. “How could you...how do you even...why do you think that?”

 

“Are you fishing for compliments?” Rey asked, grinning. When Finn said nothing, Rey laughed and said kindly, “Oh, Finn, you really do like him.”

 

“I think so,” Finn admitted, knowing that Rey was not just talking about friendship. He had no experience with what she _was_ talking about but he thought he should at least be honest about his feelings.

 

They were just a few feet away from the room he was sharing with Poe and Finn jogged over to press the door release before ushering Rey inside. While he wanted to be honest, he didn’t particularly want to have this conversation with Rey in the hallway where any member of the Resistance might overhear.

 

As soon as they were inside with the door closed, Finn told her, “I want to kiss him in more than just a greeting kiss way, I think.”

 

“I see,” Rey said slowly, a small frown creasing her forehead as she sat down on one of the desk chairs. “And what exactly is a greeting kiss?”

 

Finn rummaged around his room for his night clothes as he quickly explained what Rose had told him about the different types of kisses. “So you see, if I kissed you, it would just be a quick kiss with my mouth closed, because you’re my friend and I care about you. But if I kissed someone I was in love with--”

 

“If you kissed Poe, you mean,” Rey said wickedly, her eyes dancing.

 

“I don’t know if I’m in love with him,” Finn muttered, trying to decide if he liked being teased in this way. “I’m not sure I know what that kind of love really is.”

 

Rey looked at him with compassion, all traces of joking gone. “It’s worth finding out, isn’t it? I think he likes you a lot, Finn and...and I think he’d be willing to show you what love is.”

 

Finn nodded, his stomach doing that flip thing that he was starting to associate with his feelings for Poe. “But what if he isn’t? What if a friendly kiss is all he wants from me?”

 

“Then you have his friendship,” Rey said simply. “I think friendship is a powerful kind of love all its own.”

 

“Yeah,” Finn agreed, feeling slightly better and offering Rey a weak smile. “You’re right.”

 

Rey got to her feet and jerked her chin towards the door. “I should go. I really am tired.” She looked Finn up and down as though examining him for damage. “Are you going to be alright?”

 

Finn paused, wondering if Rey could sense through the Force or something that he was wrestling with his feelings. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Go to bed.”

 

“Good night, Finn,” Rey said, moving forward and giving him a tight hug. “Sleep well.”

 

Finn pulled back and kissed her briefly on the lips. When he finished, Rey was smiling and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Sleep well, Rey.”

 

~*~*~

 

The following afternoon, Finn was in his room using his downtime to finish the second adventure novel in the series loaded onto the datapad Poe had lent him, when the door slid open to reveal an exhausted, but seemingly very pleased, Poe Dameron and BB-8. Finn tossed the datapad to the side and jumped to his feet, itching to greet Poe with a quick and friendly kiss but feeling self-conscious.

 

“Hey!” Finn cried instead, grinning at Poe as he unzipped his orange flight suit and stepped out of it before tossing it over the back of a desk chair. BB-8 rolled forward, bumping into Finn’s legs to say hello.

 

“Hey buddy,” Poe replied, laughing as Finn bent down to pat BB-8’s dome. “I’m surprised you’re still in here.”

 

“I just got back a few minutes ago,” Finn said with a shrug. “Rey’s practicing some Jedi thing I’m not sure I understand and I was helping to sort through another supply room. Captain Noorkin said we should take a break, though, since we worked through lunch.”

 

Poe raised an eyebrow. “Keeping busy, huh?”

 

“I joined the Resistance,” Finn blurted, making Poe’s eyes widen with what Finn thought might be pride. He felt his stomach flip over and tried to keep his voice even as he added, “General Organa said she’d find a place for me.”

 

Poe stepped forward and hugged Finn tightly. “Welcome to the team, Finn. I’m glad you’re on our side.”

 

Finn hugged Poe back, wishing he’d been brave enough to kiss him. “Thanks, Poe.”

 

“Hey, bud, tell you what. Let me clean up and change and I’ll take you down to meet some of my friends.” Poe was grinning at Finn with such excitement that Finn thought he’d do just about anything Poe asked of him. “I really do need to clean up, though,” Poe added, somewhat apologetically. “I’ve been in and out of the cockpit for over thirty six hours and I’m feeling a little grimy.”

 

BB-8 beeped and whirred, making Poe chuckle. Finn looked at him curiously and Poe said, “It’s nothing. BB-8 just thinks I should sleep before dragging you around to meet my squad.”

 

Finn looked down at BB-8 and grinned in a conspiratorial fashion. “I agree with you.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes but Finn saw that he looked amused rather than annoyed. Poe opened his mouth to say something but then raised his right hand to smother a yawn instead. Blinking tiredly, he said, “Well, you might be right. I’m exhausted.”

 

“Have you slept at all since you’ve been gone?” Finn asked, thinking that while he would like to meet Poe’s friends, there wasn’t really any rush. Besides, he knew he should probably return to Captain Noorkin within the next hour, break time didn’t mean he had the rest of the day off.

 

“Not really,” Poe admitted. BB-8 whistled in agreement and rolled a circle around Poe, making the pilot chuckle. “Fine, fine.” He offered Finn a lopsided grin and went to dig out a fresh change of clothes from the small dresser near his bed. “Maybe a nap is a good idea. The others probably need to clean up, too. Introduce you to them tonight?”

 

“Sure,” Finn agreed, sitting back down on his bed as Poe made his way to the small ‘fresher that was connected to their room. He was just opening up the adventure story when he heard the water turn on and BB-8 started beeping. “What is it?”

 

BB-8 whirred once and then rolled to dock in the charging port Poe had plugged in to the wall before whistling what Finn assumed was something along the lines of, “Good night.”

 

“Sleep well,” Finn said a little dubiously, he wasn’t positive that charging was quite the same as sleeping but he didn’t want to offend the little droid either. BB-8’s electro-prod _hurt_.

 

Finn was nearly to the end of the novel when Poe walked back into the room in nothing but his undershorts, his hair still wet from the shower. Without even thinking about it, Finn’s eyes drifted up Poe’s naked stomach, taking in the slight definition of his abs and chest muscles. He looked up Poe’s neck towards his face, and quickly looked away when he realized he was staring and Poe was watching him.

 

“Like what you see?” Poe asked teasingly but his voice was rougher than usual. He put his hands on his hips as though trying to decide something and then stepped forwards purposefully to where Finn was sitting on his bed. “Finn?”

 

“Yes?” Finn asked, not sure how to answer Poe’s first question. It almost felt like a trick. How could he not like what he saw? Poe was attractive, funny, impulsive, and the best pilot Finn had ever seen. The best pilot in the galaxy, Poe had claimed and Finn thought he was probably right.

 

Poe chuckled and sat down next to Finn on his bed. “You know, I was going to wait and let you settle in before mentioning anything, but if you’re going to keep openly staring and not doing anything about it, I’d at least like to know if you’re serious.” He shrugged. “Or if you just don’t have boundaries, which is fine, but I do and I’d prefer not to be ogled in my own room if you’re not interested in anything more.”

 

“Huh?” Finn asked, feeling like he was reading a book with every other page missing. He didn’t understand what Poe was trying to tell him but it seemed important. “What are you saying?”

 

Poe sighed and ran his hand through his wet hair almost nervously. “Buddy, look, you’re a good man and a good friend and I’d hate to ruin that. If you don’t want this,” he motioned between himself and Finn, “I need you to say something but--”

 

Finn thought he was starting to catch on to Poe’s train of thought and interrupted with, “I like what I see. I like you.” He swallowed and added, “I’d like to kiss you and not just in the way you kiss a friend.”

 

A grin broke out over Poe’s face and he started to laugh. “Well, nevermind, then. I thought I’d read everything wrong when you looked at me like I was speaking Shyriiwook.” Still chuckling, Poe leaned forward to press his mouth to Finn’s in a kiss that was much more like Rose’s description of a _not_ friendly kiss.

 

Finn responded to Poe’s lips on his by using his tongue to gently nudge Poe’s mouth open. He shifted his body so they were chest to chest and wrapped his arms around Poe’s back, trying to pull the other man closer. He smiled into the kiss when his hands met bare skin and he felt Poe shift slightly, his left hand coming up to cup Finn’s cheek as Poe deepened the kiss even more.

 

After a few seconds, Poe pulled away, his eyes searching Finn’s for an answer Finn wasn’t sure he knew the question to. Poe must have figured it out, however, because he smiled openly at Finn and sat back, still close enough to touch but no longer pressing their bodies together.

 

“Finn,” Poe began slowly and to Finn it seemed as though Poe was choosing his words carefully. “I’m not judging you but I do want you to tell me the truth because it’s important. You’ve never done that before, have you?”

 

“Not like that,” Finn replied, feeling his cheeks heat. “Was it bad?”

 

Poe moved forwards quickly, kissing Finn’s lips gently and then pressing their foreheads together. “No,” he assured, “just a little...inexperienced.” He leaned back just enough so that he could look Finn in the eyes. “Believe me when I say, I really like kissing you. I’d like to keep kissing you, in fact. I just need you to set the pace here and tell me when you don’t like something.”

 

Finn thought Poe’s words over, trying to make sure he understood. What he said instead was, “So, you have more experience than me?”

 

Poe chuckled, grinning sheepishly for a reason Finn didn’t understand before sitting back against the wall and saying, “Yeah, I do.”

 

“How much?” Finn asked curiously.

 

Poe reddened, looking a bit flustered, and said, “That’s not really the point...um…” He rubbed the back of his neck and forced himself to meet Finn’s eyes. “Do you really want to know?”

 

“Yes,” Finn replied, wondering why Poe seemed so uncomfortable.

 

“Nine, maybe ten depending on what you count as going all the way,” Poe replied, looking embarrassed but determined.

 

“Years?” Finn asked, not sure what ‘going all the way’ meant and deciding he could ask about that next.

 

“No, people,” Poe replied, looking at Finn as though he’d grown a second head. He paused and narrowed his eyes at Finn consideringly. “What do you think I’m talking about?”

 

“Years of experience,” Finn said with a shrug.

 

“Oh for the love of the Maker,” Poe mumbled, dropping his head in his hands and choking out a laugh. “I’m so screwed.”

 

Concerned, Finn scooted closer and rubbed Poe’s arm, trying to get the other man to look at him again. “Did I say something wrong?”

 

Poe looked up and shook his head with a sigh. “No, not at all.” He pulled Finn closer to him, so that he was practically sitting in Poe’s lap, and kissed Finn’s cheek. “I really like you, Finn. I just think we might need to take this slower than I originally thought.”

 

Finn nodded and then started to chuckle, understanding dawning on him. “Oh…”

 

“Hmm?” Poe asked, leaning forward and trying to catch Finn’s eyes.

 

“You weren’t talking about years, you were talking about, uh, sexual relations,” Finn answered, grinning to himself and wondering how he could have misunderstood so badly.

 

Poe leaned back heavily, his head making a loud _thunk_ as it hit the wall. He raised his left arm to cover his eyes and said slowly, “Yeah, buddy, that’s exactly what I was talking about.”

 

Finn had learned that people often had sexual relations with more than a few people in their lifetime, the First Order had said it was so that they could spread their genetic material to make the most viable offspring, but he’d also heard that sexual relations felt good. He wondered if that was why Poe had been with nine, or maybe ten, other beings. It must have felt good for him to keep doing it. Finn knew it was pleasurable when he touched himself, anyway, and lately he’d been thinking about a certain Resistance pilot while he did so.

 

“Do you want to have sexual relations with me?” Finn asked, wondering if his lack of experience would be off putting to Poe. There wasn’t anyone else he wanted to be with, however, so he hoped Poe would have patience with him.

 

Poe sat straight up and nearly yelped as he exclaimed, “Goodness, Finn, you get right to the point, don’t you?”

 

“Sorry?” Finn offered, unsure of the correct response.

 

Poe sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair in what Finn now realized was a nervous habit. “I’m attracted to you, Finn. I want to touch you and I want you to touch me but I also think it’s really important you know what you’re doing.” He saw Finn was about to interrupt and said quickly, “I don’t mean in terms of actions. I don’t want you to just follow my lead here, buddy.” He paused before leaning forward, eyes serious. “Finn, I need you to know know that if you say no, to anything I ask or want to try, I will absolutely and one hundred percent respect that.”

 

“I know how you have sexual relations with another being, Poe,” Finn told him soberly. “I may not know anything about relationships, and I think that’s what you’re talking about right now, but I do know anatomy and sexual relations were covered in those classes.”

 

“Would you stop saying sexual relations?” Poe asked, sounding a little manic. “You can just call it sex, or making love, or fucking, or…” He stopped when he saw that Finn’s face had fallen and he was moving farther away from Poe, clearly thinking Poe was angry with him. Poe grabbed his hand and said more gently, “Sorry, it’s just that sexual relations sounds overly clinical and what I want with you has a lot more to do with what’s in here,” he patted his chest with his free hand, “than what was in whatever anatomy textbook you had to memorize.”

 

A small, shy smile crossed Finn’s lips and he settled himself closer to Poe once more. “I see. Does this mean I can kiss you again?”

 

Poe chuckled low and warm before wrapping his arms around Finn and pulling him against his chest in a tight hug. He kissed Finn’s neck and whispered, “Yeah, you can kiss me whenever you want.”

 

Finn grinned and was glad Poe couldn’t see his face because he knew he was blushing as he asked, “Are you my boyfriend, then?”

 

Poe smiled and kissed Finn’s lips again but only briefly this time before he leaned back and met Finn’s eyes. Hesitating momentarily, Poe asked, “What would being boyfriends mean to you?”

 

Finn wondered if this was a trick question and thought for a moment. He had a feeling Poe was asking because of his obvious lack of experience with romantic relationships and wanted to make sure they were on the same page with what a relationship meant. He thought back to the love story that was described in the adventure novel he was reading on the datapad and to the way he’d heard other beings on the base talk about their own partners and thought he wanted something similar. He knew how he felt about Poe and wanted to explore those feelings and pursue something more physical as well.

 

“That we care about each other as more than just friends,” Finn began, hoping that Poe wanted the same things he did. “That we respect each other and support each other.” He blushed. “That we kiss and eventually we touch each other and have sexua--sex.”

 

“Is it exclusive?” Poe wanted to know, and Finn thought Poe was trying to keep his voice steady. “It matters to me that it is but I know this is new for you and maybe you don’t--”

 

“I don’t want to be with anyone else, if that’s what you’re asking,” Finn interrupted, looking slightly offended by the idea. “I wouldn’t like it if you kissed someone else the way you kissed me.”

 

“Me either, love,” Poe replied and Finn felt his stomach flip over at the new pet name. Poe suddenly yawned so widely that Finn thought Poe’s jaw must have cracked.

 

“I think it’s time for you to take that nap,” Finn told him with a smirk. He glanced over at the chronometer Poe had put on his desk and sighed. “And I need to go back to Captain Noorkin. It’s been almost an hour since he told us we could take a break.”

 

Poe nodded and gently untangled himself from Finn before getting to his feet and stretching. “If I don’t see you before, I’ll definitely see you at dinner.”

 

Finn nodded and took the hand Poe offered, allowing himself to be pulled off the bed and into a firm embrace. He pressed his lips gently against Poe’s, enjoying the feeling of Poe holding him close while they kissed slowly.

 

“Get some sleep, hotshot,” Finn teased when they pulled apart, his lips slightly swollen.

 

Poe chuckled, his eyes hooded as he smiled at Finn. “Get back to work before I try and convince you to nap with me.” Finn grinned and turned towards the door before Poe called his name and asked, “Um, Finn, you won’t say anything about what I told you to anyone else, will you?”

 

“About us being boyfriends?” Finn asked, hurt creeping into his voice. He had wanted to tell Rey and maybe Rose, not seeing why this should be a secret. Rey had told him the night before that she thought Poe liked him as more than just a friend and he wanted to let her know she had been right.

 

“No!” Poe replied, grabbing Finn’s hand and twining their fingers together. “Tell whoever you want that we've started dating. I’m happy to be your boyfriend.” He bit his lip and clarified, “I mean, about how many people I’ve been with. That’s something you tell your lover, er, boyfriend, not the whole base. Know what I mean?”

 

“Why would I want to share that with the base?” Finn asked with a frown, feeling puzzled. Sexual activities and the number of sexual partners someone had in the past didn’t seem to be something you would share with just anyone.

 

“I’m not saying you would,” Poe said quickly, squeezing Finn’s hand. “I just...wanted to make sure. I’m open about a lot of things but others, well, I’m pretty private about. My relationships are one of those things. I’d just rather things about our relationship, including how, if, and when we have sex, stayed between us.”

 

Finn smiled, understanding. “I won’t say anything. I’d rather keep that to myself, too.”

 

“Good,” Poe replied, obviously relieved. He kissed Finn briefly on the mouth and then nudged him towards the door saying, “Now go to work, I need my beauty sleep.”

 

~*~*~

 

Finn spent the rest of his afternoon helping Captain Noorkin and several other Resistance members unload a supply ship that had arrived during their break. Once they had finished, Finn turned down invitations to grab a drink in someone’s room in favor of finding Rey.

 

“It’s Corellian whiskey, Finn!” tempted Lenton, a Cerean male that Finn had quickly bonded with while they unloaded supplies. “There isn’t going to be any left for the party later if you don’t come now.”

 

“I’m alright,” Finn replied, waving him off. “Enjoy my share for me.”

 

“Will do, my friend.” Lenton chuckled and turned back to the group, walking off with them in the opposite direction of Finn.

 

Finn made his way to hangar 2 where he found Rey talking ships with Rose and a pilot Finn recognized from when he’d been in the command room during the attack on Starkiller Base but to whom he had never been formally introduced.

 

“Finn!” Rose called, spotting him first and indicating that he should join them. “Where have you been all day?”

 

“Unloading supplies.” Finn walked over to stand by her, smiling when she kissed him briefly in greeting. Turning to Rey he said, “We’ve got more options than that green stew for dinner now.”

 

Rey laughed at this bit of knowledge. “Good, I could do with something different. I’m still having trouble washing it out of my clothes.” She looked meaningfully at Finn who only grinned at her.

 

“Finn?” asked the pilot, offering his hand for Finn to shake. “I remember you, you left the First Order and gave us the information.” His mouth quirked at the corner. “Poe mentioned you’ve had quite a few adventures lately.”

 

“That’s one way of putting it, sir,” Finn agreed, guessing the man’s rank to be Captain if he was reading the the insignia on his uniform correctly.

 

“Snap,” the man said firmly and Finn nodded. “Say, Finn, you don’t happen to know anything about ship repairs, do you?”

 

Finn looked at Rose and Rey who were watching him with mild amusement and he shook his head. Finn thought back to how useless he was the previous evening when he kept handing Rey the wrong tools and knew it would do no good to tell anything but the truth.

 

“No, but they do,” he said, jerking his thumbs at the women. “Rose works in maintenance.”

 

Snap nodded. “I know, she’s brilliant.” Rose ducked her head to hide her blush at the complement. He smiled at Rose and Rey before telling them, “I blew an engine and could use some help before Poe comes to find me from wherever he’s gotten off to and tells me I’m doing all the repairs wrong.”

 

“On your X-wing?” Rey asked Snap eagerly before looking hopefully at Rose. “Can I help you?”

 

Snap looked from Rey to Rose as though he couldn’t quite believe his luck. “You both want to? I’ll show you some of the modifications I’ve made, too, that way we make sure to install the right parts.”

 

“I’m going to leave you three to it, I’ll just be in your way otherwise,” Finn said, leaning over and kissing Rey lightly on the mouth before doing the same to Rose. Both women smiled at him and Snap raised his eyebrows questioningly but didn’t say anything. Finn wondered if Snap wanted a friendly kiss too but felt odd asking. He’d just met the man and kisses like that were supposed to be for close friends.

 

“See you at dinner?” Finn asked hopefully and Rey nodded.

 

“If we’re done here,” Rose replied absently, already turning her attention to the X-wing.

 

“Save me something if we aren’t!” Rey called as Finn started to walk away, raising his hand in acknowledgement.

 

Hearing a beeping behind him, Finn turned and jumped back quickly to narrowly avoid being run over by a blue and yellow astromech droid.

 

“BB-3P,” Snap scolded, laughing as the droid rolled over to where his X-wing was parked and started whirring in what Finn thought was a rather grouchy manner.

 

“We’re not going to take anything away from you,” Rey told the droid, raising her eyebrows. “We’re going to help with the repairs.”

 

Finn shook his head, wondering if he would ever be able to pick up enough binary to understand what the droids were saying, and decided he might as well head back to his room and take a quick shower since Rose and Rey were occupied.

 

~*~*~

 

Finn tried not to feel disappointed when he entered the room he and Poe shared and found that Poe was no longer there. He wondered if he’d just missed him and if Poe had gone to inspect his squad's ships in hangar 2, as Snap had seemed to fear. Grinning to himself, he gathered his things and made his way to the ‘fresher.

 

Once he was clean and in a fresh change of clothes, Finn flopped onto his bed and decided to finish the rest of the novel he had been reading. After about an hour, Finn finished the story and checked the chronometer on the desk. Seeing that it was well after sunset, he wondered why Poe still hadn’t return to the room. With a shrug, he figured he might as well head down to the mess hall for dinner. If Rey and Rose weren’t there yet, he could grab plates for them and take them some food. Snap too, he decided, if the large pilot was also absent from the meal. He had a feeling they would welcome a food break while they worked on repairing Snap’s engine.

 

As soon as he stepped into the mess hall, Finn thought he’d accidentally entered the wrong room. There were more than three times as many beings as had been there the night before and the noise was deafening. He took a step back in surprise, taking in the scene before him.

 

The tables that were usually laid out in rows through the mess hall were pushed up against the walls with plates, cups, several bottles of what Finn suspected were alcohol, and platters of different kinds of food scattered across them. More than half of the beings present were gathered in the center of the mess hall, dancing, talking, laughing, eating and embracing as music blared from a speaker Finn couldn’t see but thought must be perched on his shoulder it was so loud.

 

“Finn!”

 

He turned at the sound of his name and a tap on his shoulder to see Poe grinning at him.

 

“Hey.” Finn gestured at the bustling activity in the mess hall with interest. “What’s going on?”

 

“Party,” Poe told him simply, leaning forward to speak close to Finn’s ear so that he could hear Poe better.

 

“I figured that much out myself, actually,” Finn replied dryly, shouting to be heard over the music. “Won’t we get in trouble?”

 

“Nah,” Poe said, shaking his head. “We need times like this to boost morale and come together after a hard time. Besides, Leia came earlier to eat but left when I offered her Cantina Punch.” He laughed as though this were a great joke and Finn cracked a smile. “C’mon, let’s get away from the speaker and go where we can actually hear ourselves think!”

 

Finn let Poe take his hand and lead him through the crowd towards the back wall where the music was a much more pleasant background noise. When they reached a table with food and drinks piled on top, Finn’s eyes widened - there were bottles of various types of alcohol and a male orange Twi’lek Finn didn’t recognize was mixing a large pitcher of what looked like liquor and juice together.

 

“Cantina Punch?” Poe offered, grinning wickedly as he poured a cup of the drink mixture and offered it to Finn before pouring one for himself as well.

 

“What’s in it?” Finn asked the Twi’lek, accepting the cup from Poe and looking into its blue contents curiously.

 

“A bit of this and that,” the Twi’lek replied vaguely, showing his teeth in a grin. He winked and poured himself a cup. Toasting Finn he said, “Enjoy!”

 

Finn laughed and took a sip, eyes widening in surprise. “It’s really good.”

 

“Careful,” Poe warned, chuckling at the look on Finn’s face, “the sweet drinks usually pack a punch and Sarm is a good bartender.”

 

“Thanks, Commander,” Sarm replied, holding up his glass to toast Poe this time before taking a large swallow and waving goodbye as he walked towards where other beings were dancing.

 

Finn took another sip of his drink, thinking it tasted like some kind of fruit punch. He couldn’t detect any burn of alcohol and said as much to Poe.

 

“I’d suggest going slow if you’re not used to drinking,” Poe replied, raising his eyebrows as Finn took another drink from his cup. “Otherwise you’ll wake up tomorrow with a splitting headache that’ll make you wonder if you got into a bar fight and lost.”

 

“I’m not really interested in feeling like that,” Finn agreed. Back on the Finalizer, he’d seen his fellow stormtroopers manage to swipe a bottle or two of alcohol from the officers' parties and bring it back to drink in their bunks. Though he’d never been invited to join in, Finn remembered their resulting hangovers and sluggish movements the following day.

 

 _Always the outsider,_ he thought, remembering a conversation from before he’d left the First Order.

 

“Just go slow and drink lots of water in between,” Poe advised, breaking into Finn’s thoughts as he wrapped his arm around Finn’s waist. He smiled when Finn gazed at him with complete trust and leaned forward to kiss Finn soundly, gently opening his mouth to bite on Finn’s lower lip and suck it into his own mouth. After a few moments, he pulled back and said, “I’m glad you’re here.”

 

“Me too,” Finn said breathlessly, holding his drink to the side as he kissed Poe’s cheek, enjoying the feeling of Poe’s hand on his hip. “Are you still going to introduce me to your friends?”

 

Poe laughed. “Oh, yeah, they’re probably wondering where I went. I told them I’d be right back after I saw you walk in.” He nodded to their left and dropped his hand from Finn’s waist, taking Finn’s free hand instead. “They’re somewhere over there. Just so y’know, it’s OK to tell them no.”

 

“What?” Finn asked, caught off guard. He repeated his question louder, shouting over the music when Poe didn’t answer.

 

“If they try to refill your cup, you can tell them no,” Poe replied, squeezing Finn’s hand as he led him to a group of five people who Finn thought had to be Poe’s friends. Seeing the group turn to look at them, Poe said loudly, “Jess is proud of herself for getting two bottles of Corvani rum and is claiming she can drink anyone under the table.” To Finn he said quietly, “She’ll do it, too. I don’t recommend trying.”

 

“Damn right, Dameron!” shouted a young woman with long black hair and a look in her eyes that dared anyone to argue with her. “You up for the challenge?”

 

“No, Jess. I’d rather remember tonight if it’s all the same to you.” Poe laughed as Jess rolled her eyes and he pulled Finn closer, draping his arm around the younger man’s shoulder as they walked to join the group.

 

“He’ll fall asleep singing to himself like last time,” a dark-skinned, blond woman teased, beckoning for the two of them to join their group’s circle. “Speaking of, Poe, you performing for us, tonight?”

 

“It sounds like someone else chose the music for us,” Poe replied, gesturing with the hand that was holding the cup of Cantina Punch towards where people were dancing. He ignored the protest that they’d turn it off if he asked and said, “Guys, I want to introduce you to Finn.”

 

“Hi, Finn,” chorused several members of the group, smiling at him and giving Poe knowing looks.

 

“Finn, this is Jess, Iolo, Vupiil, Koop, and Karé.” He nodded to each in turn and they gave Finn a little wave or a nod, depending on their personalities. “Hey, Karé,” he started, looking over his shoulder as though trying to find someone and then turned back to her curiously, “where’d Snap go? He was here just before I left.”

 

Karé snorted. “I sent him to give those two girls a break.”

 

“They were having fun,” Iolo told her, grinning when Karé rolled her eyes.

 

“Still, no reason they should miss the party just ‘cause he’s managed to convince them to help _him_ with repairs and not the rest of us,” Karé retorted. She drained what was left in her cup and passed it to Jess, who reached behind them to a grab a bottle of what Finn thought might be the Corvani rum from a table pressed against the wall. Karé nodded her thanks when Jess handed her cup back.

 

“What do you mean, convinced them to help him with repairs? What did he do to his ship?” Poe demanded, eyes twinkling with amusement, making it clear he wasn’t really upset. To Finn he said, “Snap is Karé’s husband.”

 

Finn nodded in response to Poe’s explanation and asked Karé, “You mean Rey and Rose?”

 

“The Jedi?” Jess asked, leaning forward with interest. She smacked Poe on the chest, dislodging his arm from around Finn’s shoulder and making Poe protest. Jess ignored him as she accused, “You didn’t say she was back with us!”

 

“You didn’t give me a chance to tell you anything!” Poe cried, laughing and shaking his cup at Jess. “You just pulled out those bottles of rum and announced we were all going to have a good time.”

 

The others laughed and Jess chucked along with them. “Alright, that’s true.” She nodded to Finn’s cup and asked, “Need to be topped off?”

 

Finn, looking into his cup and seeing that it was more than half-full, shook his head. He remembered what Poe had told him a few minutes before and told her, “No thanks, I’m good.”

 

Jess nodded and offered the bottle to everyone else, adding rum to Iolo’s cup and her own before setting it back down on the table behind her.

 

The music changed to an upbeat song in a language Finn had never heard before and Vupiil’s silver eyes lit up. “Anyone want to dance?” she asked, moving her wide hips in time to the music. When no one said anything, Vupiil sighed and seized both Koop’s and Iolo’s free hands, dragging the two men towards where people we dancing.

 

“I’ve got a drink, Vupiil!” Iolo protested, indicating the drink in his other hand, but he let her drag him along anyway, grinning as the three of them made it to the dance floor.

 

“So, how’d you know Rey and Rose are helping Snap?” Poe asked Finn, taking another sip of his drink while he tapped his foot to the music.

 

Finn, who had been watching Vupiil, Iolo, and Koop start to dance while he absently sipped his drink, snapped his head back around when he realized Poe was talking to him. “Huh? Oh, I met him earlier.” He grinned and added, “His droid almost ran me over.”

 

Karé laughed and said wryly, “BB-3P is very protective of that ship.” She raised her eyebrows at Finn. “Did Snap try and convince you to help him, too?”

 

“Not really my area,” Finn told her almost apologetically. “I’d have just been in the way.” He had a feeling Poe and all of his friends knew the ins and outs of any ship they’d been able to get their hands on and hoped one of them might explain the mechanics to him. He was interested, he’d just never been given the chance.

 

“What’s your _thing_ , Finn?” Jess asked, managing to make the question sound filthy, even to Finn’s inexperienced ears.

 

Karé elbowed her in a friendly way, making Jess laugh when she said, “Play nice.”

 

Finn looked between the two women and then back at Poe, wondering if Poe would tell her to mind her own business. He’d heard the innuendo in her voice, even if he wasn’t sure how to respond to it and remembered what Poe had said about keeping his relationship business private. To his surprise, Poe only laughed and moved closer to Finn so that they were standing hip to hip. Finn didn’t even hesitate when he leaned over to kiss Poe on the cheek.

 

Jess grinned at the exchange and told Finn, “I’m only teasing. It’s good to see him happy with someone and not just BB-8.” She shook her head in mock sadness. “I was starting to worry about you, boss.”

 

“Hey!” Poe protested, glaring at her in mock sternness. “Keep your mouth off my droid.”

 

Finn laughed and told Jess, “I’ve wondered, you know. I’m probably in second place right now to that little astromech.”

 

“No,” Karé teased, “that’s Black One’s spot. I’m sure you’re at least third, Finn.”

 

Finn snorted and took another sip of his drink. He decided he liked these women and could tell they respected Poe, for all their ribbing. Sighing dramatically he joked, “That’s one spot too low, I’ll have to yield.”

 

“OK, OK.” Poe raised his hands when Karé and Jess broke out laughing. “That’s enough.” He shook his head, clearly trying not to laugh himself, and asked, “Are you hungry, Finn?”

 

“There’s food over there,” Karé added, nodding towards the opposite wall where a large crowd of people were dancing and talking, small plates of food in some of their hands.

 

Finn nodded. “I should make a plate for Rey and Rose, too,” he said, wondering when his friends would arrive.

 

Poe shrugged and took a last sip of his drink, draining the cup. “Sure.” He looked at the door to the mess hall and said, “I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes, I need to run to the ‘fresher.”

 

“Want anything?” Finn asked, looking at Karé and Jess. They both shook their heads and Finn put his cup down on the table, thinking he’d probably need both hands if he was going to make several plates of food.

 

“Watch that for him” Poe told Karé, walking backwards towards the door, “and don’t let Jess put anything in there.”

 

Finn heard Jess shouting that she would never spike someone’s drink unless they asked as he headed towards the food table. He dodged some of the people who were dancing, noticing that they seemed intoxicated and not wanting to make them even more unsteady on their feet by bumping into them. There was a small crowd of people hovering a few feet away from the food, blocking his path.

 

“Excuse me,” he told them as pushed through, being careful not to step on anyone’s feet as he reached the table and picked up two plates.

 

“Hungry?” asked someone on his right and Finn jumped, startled to see Rey walking up to him.

 

“Wasn’t expecting you to be there,” Finn told her, noticing Snap squeezing through the crowd behind her. He bent over to kiss her hello before handing her the plate he had been about to put food on for her. “This is for you, actually.”

 

“Thanks,” Rey told him, taking the plate and choosing what she wanted from the table.

 

“Hi, Finn,” Snap said, stepping into the food line behind Rey and starting to fill a plate of his own.

 

“Where’s Rose?” Finn asked, looking from Snap to Rey.

 

“Here,” said a voice behind him and he spun around to see Rose smiling at him, a streak of what Finn thought might be engine oil on her cheek. She stood up on her toes to kiss him hello and then reached for a plate. For Finn’s ears only she said, “I’m glad Snap came and got us. I forgot they were throwing this tonight.”

 

“I had no idea,” Finn told her, choosing a little bit of everything that would fit on his plate from the table and popping a berry in his mouth as the four of them finished choosing what they wanted to eat. “I thought I’d gone the wrong way when I walked in here and heard the music.”

 

Rose giggled. “I should have told you.”

 

Finn picked up a napkin and held it out to Rose. “You’ve, uh, got something on your face.”

 

She took it and swiped at her cheeks, only managing to smear the oil in a larger streak. “Is it gone?” she asked as she and Finn started to follow Snap and Rey across the hall back towards where Finn had left Karé and Jess.

 

“No,” Finn said, taking the napkin from her. “Can I…?” he asked, holding it up and Rose nodded.

 

“You two are cute,” Snap told them, smiling at the exchange between Finn and Rose as they walked the long way around the mess hall, giving the people who were dancing a wide berth.

 

“Hey, Snap!” someone shouted from behind and the four of them turned to see Poe sauntering up to them with a smirk. When he was close enough to not need to yell he said dryly, “I hear you’ve been dodging your repairs.”

 

Snap laughed and nodded at Rose and Rey. “They volunteered.”

 

“We did,” Rey agreed, grinning. “It’s good to be busy.”

 

Poe rolled his eyes goodnaturedly and slung an arm around Finn’s shoulders, guiding him back towards where Karé and Jess were waiting.

 

When they reached the other pilots, Karé handed Finn the cup he’d left behind and winked at Poe. “Mission accomplished, no strange substances were added.”

 

Jess snorted but said nothing, choosing instead to pour herself another drink as Finn quickly introduced Rey and Rose.

 

The seven of them spent the next two hours chatting, laughing and drinking. Iolo, Koop and Vupiil returned from the dance floor at one point, bringing several other people with them and demanding rum from Jess, who happily obliged. Finn was surprised when Snap, Poe, Rose and Rey agreed to some kind of drinking game with Jess and watched with amusement as the five of them rolled dice and passed cups back and forth in a sequence he had trouble following.

 

“Jess always wins,” Karé murmured to Finn, slowly sipping her own drink. “I thought they’d learned their lesson last time.” She jerked her chin at Poe and Snap, who ignored her, grinning. “I’m not carrying either of you back to your beds if you’re not able to walk.”

 

“Snap might have to sleep here but Finn’s nicer than you are,” Poe retorted but he pulled out of the game all the same, getting up from the table and accepting a large cup of water from Finn, who kissed him soundly on the mouth.

 

Snap frowned at the two of them when the kiss ended but Finn didn’t have much of a chance to wonder about it because Poe pulled him closer, kissing him firmly and sliding his tongue into his mouth as he fitted their hips together. Finn was pretty sure he groaned into the kiss and was grateful that the music had changed to something with a pounding beat so that the others couldn’t hear him. When Poe ended the kiss, he had a lazy smile on his face that Finn found rather endearing.

 

“Water for me from now on,” Poe confided to Finn, toasting him with his cup of water and keeping his hand firmly on Finn’s hip as the two of them turned back to watch the game continue.

 

“I’m tapping out, too,” Rey said with a laugh after the third cup passing sequence and Rose nodded.

 

“Snap?” Jess asked, holding the dice out to him. “It’s just you and me.”

 

Finn felt Poe’s chuckle as Snap took the dice from Jess with a determined look on his face. Finn had finished his cup of Cantina Punch over an hour before and had switched to plain juice, remembering Poe’s warnings about a hangover. From Snap’s fumbling movements as he rolled the dice, Finn had a feeling the large pilot would regret continuing in the morning.

 

“Finn?” Rose had come over to join Finn, Poe, and Karé where they were standing and watching the game unfold, Rey just a few steps behind her. “I think Rey and I are going to go find Bo-Li and Qupp.”

 

“They have a holo I want to watch back in Bo-Li and Rose’s room,” Rey explained, seeing Finn looking around for the pair. “You’re all welcome to join us.”

 

Karé shook her head with a smile. “We’re going to stay a bit longer,” she indicated Snap, “and then we’ll probably head to bed. Poe’s making us run drills in the morning.”

 

Poe grinned when Snap and Jess looked up in surprise and said, “I knew you weren’t listening earlier.”

 

“What time?” Jess demanded but Poe just shook his head and Jess rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Commander, give us a break, we just got back.”

 

Poe shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. “Dawn.”

 

Jess groaned and got up from the table, much to Snap’s delight as he declared himself the winner. All of them laughed at the sour look on Jess’s face but she quickly joined in, slapping Snap on the back and telling him she’d give him the honors of getting them both some water.

 

“After I get back from the ‘fresher,” Snap agreed and he left the table.

 

“How about you three?” Rose asked, turning to include Jess in the invitation. “Interested in a holo tonight?”

 

Jess shook her head, giving Rose and Rey the same answer as Karé. “If we didn’t have to be up so early, I’d be up for it,” she added, glowering at Poe who only smiled at her.

 

“I’m probably going to turn in soon,” Poe told them, covering a yawn. He looked around and saw that the crowd was thinning and about half of those who had been there earlier were gone. “Or maybe now.”

 

“I’m getting kind of tired,” Finn admitted when Rose and Rey looked at him questioningly. “I’ll walk you there, though.” To Poe he said, “Meet you back at the room?”

 

“Sure,” Poe agreed, waving goodnight to Rose and Rey as the three of them turned to leave the mess hall.

 

When they exited the mess hall, Finn heard Poe say his name and the sound of feet jogging towards them. “I thought you were staying for a bit,” he said, turning with a smile. “Going to walk with us?”

 

Poe shook his head and pulled Finn into a quick kiss that made Finn think his legs might melt into the floor. “I wanted to say good night now, in case I’m already asleep when you get back to the room.”

 

Rey and Rose exchanged smiles and Finn tried to ignore the knowing look in Rey’s eyes as he said, “I’ll be back soon.”

 

Poe shrugged and smiled in a way that made Finn’s heart beat harder in his chest. “Still, just wanted to say good night.” He waved at Rey and Rose before turning to his right and calling, “Good night!” over his shoulder.

 

Once Poe was out of earshot, Rey started laughing. “See, I told you, Finn!”

 

“You’ve got good taste,” Rose added, giggling when Finn blushed. “I see you’ve learned more about kissing.”

 

Finn groaned and nodded towards the lift at the other end of the hallway. “Don’t you want to go watch your holo?”

 

“Bo-Li’s room is right next to the lift on the next floor up, it’s not far,” Rey replied. She pointed in the direction of the hallway Poe had just walked down and suggested, “Why don’t you go with Poe?”

 

Seeing Finn’s hesitation, Rose told him, “When the pilots run drill, they’re gone most of the day. You probably won’t see him until tomorrow night.”

 

Finn thought over what she said and then nodded. “Well, alright, but I’ll at least walk you to the lift.”

 

Rose nodded and the three of them walked down to the end of the hall where Rey pressed the lift call button. As soon as the doors opened, Snap stepped out and Rey turned to give Finn a hug goodnight, smiling when he kissed her platonically on the mouth before doing the same to Rose.

 

“Good night, Finn, Snap,” Rey called as the doors slid shut behind her and Rose.

 

“Hey,” Finn said as Snap stared at him, looking confused. “You feeling alright?”

 

“Huh?” Snap asked, looking from Finn to the lift doors and back. “Oh, yeah.” He frowned at Finn and motioned for Finn to walk with him back down the hall towards where music was still playing in the mess hall.

 

“I’m going to bed,” Finn said, shaking his head when Snap gestured for Finn to enter the mess hall first.

 

“Right,” Snap said, still looking at Finn with a frown. “Finn? You and Poe, you’re, uh, you’re serious about him?”

 

It was Finn’s turn to frown as he said, “What do you mean? We just started dating.”

 

“I’m probably too drunk to do this right now,” Snap muttered, shaking his head as though trying to clear it and then winced. “Just, be good to him, alright? He’s had a string of shitty guys over the last few years and he doesn’t deserve having someone run around on him. If you’re just playing, you should end it before it gets serious.”

 

Finn nodded though he didn’t quite understand what Snap was saying and attributed the weird conversation to the amount of alcohol Snap had consumed. “I really like him.”

 

“Good,” Snap replied, clapping his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Well, good night.”

 

“Good night,” Finn echoed, feeling even more confused as he watched Snap stumble back into the mess hall.

 

 _What was that about?_ he wondered and then shrugged, heading back to the room he and Poe shared.

 

~*~*~

 

When Finn entered their room, BB-8 was powered down in the charging port and Finn could hear water running in the ‘fresher. While he waited for Poe to finish showering, Finn changed into a shirt and undershorts before climbing into bed with the datapad. He was now on the third book in the series and wanted to know what would happen next.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Poe stepped out of the ‘fresher, his dirty clothes bundled up under one arm, and smiled at Finn. “You going to stay up late?” he asked, walking over to toss his clothes into the small laundry basket in the corner. “Mind if I dim the lights?”

 

“You can turn them off,” Finn answered, closing the datapad and getting out of his bed to put it back on the desk. “You have to be up at dawn, right?”

 

“Before that,” Poe corrected, smothering a yawn. He offered Finn a tired smile. “I want a look at Snap’s engine before we go up. I need him to go on a mission with Iolo after we run drill and if his ship’s not fit to fly...” Poe trailed off, yawning once more and making Finn smile.

 

“C’mere,” Finn told him and Poe stepped into the circle of Finn’s arms, resting his head on Finn’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to Finn’s neck. Finn wondered if Poe would go instead of Snap if the engine was still broken but didn’t want to ask for fear Poe would misunderstand and think Finn was trying to hold him back. “I like your friends,” he said after they had been standing like that for a few moments and he felt Poe grin.

 

“They’re good people,” Poe told him with conviction, pulling back so he could look Finn in the eyes. “I’m lucky they’re part of my squad.”

 

Finn nodding, thinking back to the strange conversation he’d had with Snap but decided not to mention it to Poe. He still wasn’t sure what Snap had been trying to tell him and had a feeling the pilot had consumed enough alcohol that he wouldn’t remember it in the morning.

 

“Are you drunk?” Finn asked and Poe burst out laughing, clearly not expecting that question. “Is that a yes?”

 

“No,” Poe answered, still chuckling. “I’m buzzed but I’m fine.”

 

Finn nodded and then leaned forward to capture Poe’s lips in a kiss, shivering slightly when Poe’s hands came to rest firmly on his waist. When he broke the kiss, he told Poe, “I like when you do that.”

 

Poe grinned, raising an eyebrow at Finn’s admission. “Oh yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” Finn muttered, stepping closer so that they were chest to chest and kissing Poe just underneath his jaw. He remembered what Poe had said about Finn needing to set the pace and he wrapped his arms around Poe’s neck, pulling him in for another kiss that left Finn feeling a little dizzy.

 

“I should go to sleep,” Poe said huskily when they pulled apart and Finn noticed that Poe’s lips were red from kissing while his own felt a little raw. “Maybe later you can show me what else you like?”

 

“Sure.” Finn grinned and his body felt warm as Poe kissed him briefly, almost innocently, though not in the same way that Rose and Rey had earlier. He dropped his hands from around Poe’s neck and gently pushed Poe towards his bed. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

Poe made a face as he lay down on his bed and said, “Probably not, actually. I’m going to try not to wake you when BB-8 and I leave in the morning.”

 

“Right,” Finn replied, remembering that Poe was rising before dawn. He slipped into his own bed, missing the feeling of Poe pressed against him. “Thanks.”

 

“Lights off,” Poe said and the room went dark.

 

“Sleep well,” Finn said quietly, smiling to himself as he thought about the day’s events. He was excited to explore this new relationship with Poe.

 

“Good night,” Poe replied sleepily and Finn soon heard Poe’s breathing even out, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

 

~*~*~

 

True to his word, Poe didn't wake Finn when he left just before dawn the following day though Finn still rose early. Trying to figure out what to do with himself, Finn went in search of Captain Nookin, who recommended Finn explore the different sectors on base to see where he might want to work.

 

At breakfast, Finn discovered that Lenton was just as gifted with ship repairs as Rey and convinced his new friend to give him lessons and explain the mechanics. Laughingly, Lenton agreed and Finn spent the entirety of the day with Lenton, Bo-Li, Qupp, and Rose in hangar 1, breaking only for lunch.

 

Close to dinner time, Rey found Finn sorting through a pile of parts, trying to find the one Lenton had requested as he worked on a damaged X-wing. Much to Finn’s chagrin, he’d learned that he did not have any natural ability with mechanics and had a feeling maintenance would not be the right sector for him.

 

“What are you looking for?” Rey asked after a few minutes’ silence, finally taking pity on him.

 

“A laser tip for an X-wing,” Finn told her helplessly, trying not to kick the parts in front of him.

 

“This one,” Rey said, pointing to the part with her foot.

 

Finn snatched it up with a muttered, “Thanks” and tried to smile when Rey chuckled. He’d been trying to identify the part for the better part of five minutes and Rey had found it in seconds.

 

“I just have more practice,” Rey said gently, resting her hand on Finn’s arm. She surveyed the maintenance workers who were all consumed with the work they were doing and asked Finn, “Are you hungry? I was going to get dinner and you look like you could use a break.”

 

“Yeah.” Finn nodded jerkily as he walked back over to Lenton, passing off the part he’d requested. “I’m going to eat with Rey,” he announced, “do you want to come?”

 

Lenton shook his head, eyes not leaving the ship he was working on. Rose, Bo-Li, and Qupp also declined, though Rose got up from where she was working and walked over to give Finn a kiss.

 

“You’re doing fine,” she said kindly, correctly interpreting his haggard expression.

 

Lenton quickly agreed, finally looking away from the ship and seeing both Bo-Li and Qupp get up to give Finn a kiss. He frowned curiously and asked, “Finn? I thought Rose said you were dating Poe Dameron.”

 

“He is,” Rey replied, clearly not understanding why Lenton would ask.

 

Lenton nodded but still looked confused. Rose, however, seemed to understand and said, “I’m from Hays Minor. We kiss hello and goodbye whenever we’re with a close friend or family member.” She shrugged. “Or just to let them know we care.”

 

“I like it,” Qupp told her, grinning at Rose and then at Finn. “It makes me happy to know I’ve got friends who care about me this much.”

 

Finn couldn’t help but smile at the honesty in Qupp’s words and a surge of affection coursed through him for the tiny man. He remembered what General Organa had told him about everyone needing to be reminded that they were important to each other and asked Lenton, “Do you want a kiss, too?”

 

Lenton paused, clearly thinking the question over, and then his face split in a huge smile. “Yeah.”

 

Finn stepped forward and gave Lenton a chaste kiss, smiling when the Cerean man told Rose, “I’m glad you shared that custom. I think it’ll make the base a more cheerful place.”

 

Rose beamed at Lenton. “You’re welcome. I’ve missed being able to show my friends how much they mean to me in this way.”

 

Rey nodded. “It’s nice, though I imagine not everyone is used to it.”

 

“Yeah,” Rose agreed, “I’m glad you all like it, though.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us for dinner?” Finn asked the others as Rey nodded towards the hangar’s exit, clearly ready to go.

 

Rose waved them away. “We’ll eat later.”

 

Bo-Li, Qupp and Lenton made noises of agreement so Finn and Rey left, heading to the mess hall for dinner. When they arrived, Finn spotted Poe eating with Jess and Karé and quickly led Rey to their table.

 

“Rey! Finn!” Jess called as the two of them made their way over and she scooted over a seat so that Finn could have a place next to Poe.

 

Finn took the open seat and leaned over to kiss Poe on the cheek, his stomach flipping over when Poe smiled at him warmly.  

 

“How was drill this morning?” Rey asked, choosing the seat opposite Karé before she started to serve herself from the large bowls in the center.

 

“Long,” Jess complained, sticking her tongue out at Poe who just snorted at her antics. “Koop and Vupiil got out of it.”

 

“Not really,” Karé said as she reached across the table for the water pitcher and began to refill her cup. “They went to run recon while the rest of us were getting ready this morning.”

 

Rey nodded. “Will they be back soon?”

 

“Depends on their contact,” Poe replied, his tone making it clear he wouldn’t say more on the subject. “Karé, Jess, you two should be ready to leave just as early tomorrow morning.”

 

“We know,” Karé said, finishing the food on her plate. “That’s why we’re having an early dinner.” She nodded at Poe. “Did you tell Finn yet?”

 

Finn tensed and looked up from his plate, fork halfway to his mouth as he asked, “Tell me what?”

 

“Not yet,” Poe replied, frowning at Karé. “This is the first time I’ve seen him all day.”

 

“Tell me what?” Finn repeated, putting his fork down as he waited for Poe to answer.

 

“I’ve been given a solo mission from the General. Should only be gone about a week or two,” Poe answered, shooting Karé a look that made her snap her mouth shut.

 

“Oh,” Finn said, feeling relieved. He understood about orders and missions, he knew this was part of Poe’s job and he wasn’t going to say anything that would make Poe think Finn didn’t want him to go.

 

“What Poe isn’t telling you,” Karé began, ignoring the glare Poe was shooting her, “is that he’s going into Hutt Space.”

 

Finn nodded, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach as he asked, “I’m guessing you’re going undercover.”

 

He knew the First Order had been trying to bring Hutt Space under their control much as the Empire had done after the Battle of Yavin. It was a haven for crime and corruption but the Hutts had worked hard to keep the First Order from taking their independence. Finn had a feeling there were people there who had information that would be interesting to the Resistance but that there was no way they’d give it up if they knew where Poe’s loyalties really lay.

 

“Yeah,” Poe answered, “but I can’t tell you anymore about it.” He looked meaningfully at Karé, who only shrugged.

 

“You have to tell him when you’re doing these things,” she argued. “I know you can’t give the gritty details but it’s not fair to just sneak off.”

 

Finn, who sensed an argument was about to break out, said quickly, “It’s alright. I understand.” He shrugged. “It’s need to know, right? I don’t need to know any more than that.”

 

Poe suddenly relaxed and Karé looked smug, though she hid it by taking a large gulp of water and then refilling her cup once more.

 

“Thanks,” Poe said, reaching under the table to rest his hand on Finn’s thigh.

 

Finn dropped his hand to rest on top of Poe’s and laced their fingers together, not caring that it made it more difficult for him to finish his meal one handed

 

~*~*~

 

When they were both getting ready to climb into their beds that night, Finn asked, “Poe? Do you, uh, like sleeping by yourself?”

 

“What are you really asking?” Poe crossed his arms over his bare chest, raising an eyebrow in question.

 

Finn flushed but said nothing, feeling self conscious. At dinner, he’d overheard Jess teasing Karé about how lucky she was to have a large bed all to herself while Snap was gone and had wondered if Poe might like to share a bed with him sometimes.

 

“Finn?” Poe asked the teasing look in his eye gone and replaced with gentleness. “I told you, you’ve got to set the pace here.”

 

“Do you want to sleep in my bed with me?” Finn asked in a rush, nodding towards his twin bed. “It’s a little small but I thought if we pushed yours and mine together then we’d be alright.”

 

Poe grinned. “Is that what you want?”

 

“Yeah,” Finn replied, forcing himself not to pick at his shirt seam as an outlet for his nervous energy. He wanted to be able to lie down and kiss Poe, to touch him once more before he left for his week-long mission. “And I thought you might let me touch you a little.”

 

Poe crossed the space between them and pressed his mouth to Finn’s, gently parting his lips and licking into Finn’s mouth, making the younger man moan. He nibbled at Finn’s lower lip and then drew back a few inches to murmur, “Whatever you want.”

 

Finn smiled, his nerves from just a few moments ago gone and he surged forwards, kissing Poe roughly and running his hands down Poe’s back, delighting in the feel of Poe’s bare skin under his fingers. “I like this,” he whispered, his hands gripping Poe’s hips firmly. “I like getting to touch you like this.”

 

“Oh, love, we’re going to have fun together,” Poe promised and he kissed Finn deeply before stepping out of his hold. He smiled when Finn whimpered in protest and gestured towards the beds. “I thought you wanted to push them together.”

 

“Right,” Finn said, his pupils blown wide as he stared at Poe, enjoying the sight of him in only his undershorts. “Help me?”

 

Poe nodded and the two quickly pushed the beds together against the wall, rearranging the blankets so they would be able to share without much trouble.

 

“After you,” Poe invited, waving towards the bed and chuckling when Finn lay down only to grab Poe’s hand and pull him down on top of him. He kissed Finn gently and Finn brought his hands to Poe’s shoulder, pulling him closer and making the pilot sigh with contentment.

 

“Can I touch you?” Finn asked, breaking the kiss and looking hopefully at Poe.

 

“How?” Poe asked and frowned when Finn looked away without answering.

 

Finn thought back to how he’d touched himself in the shower earlier that morning, imagining Poe in there next to him, and felt his face heat. He wanted to touch and be touched, he just didn’t have the vocabulary for what he wanted to ask for and he worried Poe thought he was an inexperienced child since he kept asking him what he wanted.

 

“Hey,” Poe said quietly, rolling on to his side and sensing that Finn was withdrawing from him, “what’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing,” Finn told him, leaning forward to kiss him but Poe pulled back.

 

“Uh uh, I’m not doing that,” Poe replied, gently pressing Finn onto his back.

 

“Doing what?” Finn asked, feeling a little lost. He’d thought they were doing fine just a few minutes ago and now felt rejected.

 

Poe propped himself up on his right elbow and brought his left hand to Finn’s cheek. “I really like you, Finn. I don’t want you to give me what you think I want and not tell me what you want. That’s not fair, I’d be taking advantage of you.”

 

Finn turned his face to kiss Poe’s palm. “I don’t have the right words,” he admitted, “and you keep asking me questions. I’m not a kid.”

 

Poe’s eyebrows came together as he frowned again. “Is that what you think?” He shook his head. “I’m checking in to make sure I know what you want so that I don’t do anything wrong. The last thing I want is to find out I hurt you. It matters to me that we’re on the same page.”

 

Finn nodded in understanding, relief flooding his body as he realized Poe was being considerate, not judgmental. He sighed and scooted closer to Poe, relaxing when Poe dropped his head down to the pillow next to Finn’s so they were face to face.

 

“Tell me what you want,” Poe urged, running his thumb over Finn’s cheek.

 

“I want you to kiss me and I like it when you put your hands on my hips and legs.” He felt his cheeks heat as he added, “I like all the ways you’ve touched me so far and I want...”

 

“Yes?” Poe prompted, a warm smile lighting his face.

 

“Eventually I want you to kiss me in more places than just my mouth and neck,” Finn whispered. “And I want you to press yourself against me again so that our hips line up.”

 

Poe grinned at Finn’s description and asked delicately, “Is that what you want tonight or another time?”

 

Finn thought for a moment and then turned his head to hide a yawn, making Poe chuckle. “I think tonight I just want to kiss and fall asleep in the same bed together,” he said, pressing his face into Poe’s neck to conceal another yawn.  

 

“Tonight is what matters,” Poe replied and he wrapped his arm around Finn’s waist to hold him close. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

 

Finn kissed Poe’s neck up to his jaw and then leaned back to smile contentedly. “I think I’m going to miss you while you’re gone on your mission.”

 

“Shhh,” Poe told him, grip tightening on Finn’s waist, “not right now. We’ll say goodbye in the morning.”

 

Finn nodded and leaned forward to kiss him gently, humming in pleasure when Poe opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Finn started to slowly run his hands over Poe’s chest, exploring his body as they kissed languidly. He enjoyed the little gasps Poe made whenever Finn gently stroked his side or put his hand on the small of his back.

 

Poe groaned into the kiss and then gently pressed Finn onto his back before he broke the kiss to nip and kiss his way down Finn’s neck. He grinned when Finn started to whimper and gently sucked Finn’s earlobe into his mouth, nipping gently when Finn moaned loudly. He was about to ask Finn if there was anything he wanted when Finn turned his head and brought his hand up to smother a yawn.

 

“Sorry,” Finn muttered and Poe chuckled.

 

“Boring you, huh?” he teased and Finn’s eyes widened before Poe kissed him swiftly. “I’m only joking, I know you’re tired.” He glanced at the chronometer on the desk and sighed. “We should both get some sleep. I don’t have to leave as early as Jess and Karé but it’s getting late.”

 

“Maybe we can do this again when you get back?” Finn suggested and he felt his stomach flip over when Poe gave him a look full of warm promises.

 

“Yes,” Poe said simply and he kissed Finn deeply again before pulling Finn close so that his head was resting on Poe’s chest.

 

“Lights off,” Finn said and he pressed his body even closer to Poe’s when the room went dark, dropping a kiss on Poe’s chest and smiling when Poe hugged him tightly.

 

“Good night,” Poe whispered and Finn nodded against his chest as they both quickly drifted off to sleep.

 

~*~*~

 

After breakfast the next morning, Finn said goodbye to Poe while Poe was checking over Black One with BB-8. The hangar was bustling with activity but nobody disturbed them as they embraced by the ship.

 

“I should be back within the next ten days,” Poe whispered as he hugged Finn tightly, “but don’t worry if I’m gone longer.”

 

“Good luck,” Finn replied before pressing a kiss to Poe’s neck. He stepped back to allow Poe to climb into Black One, trying to keep his face neutral. He thought that it probably wasn’t worth worrying but he couldn’t help it, he had a feeling the mission was more dangerous than Poe was letting on.

 

Poe grinned and turned to offer Finn a little salute as he climbed the ladder to his ship, helmet tucked under his arm. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

 

Finn nodded and waved once as he moved away from the ship. He watched as Poe navigated Black One out of the hangar and sighed as he took off, feeling a little forlorn. Not wanting anyone to think he was sulking, he turned around to leave the hangar and spotted Rose kneeling by a toolkit a few yards away.

 

“Hey, Finn,” she said when she noticed he was looking at her. She pushed herself to her feet and walked over to greet him, kissing him hello. “Are you going to help us in the hangar today?”

 

Finn shook his head, rubbing his neck self-consciously. “I don’t think it’s the right sector for me.”

 

Rose grinned. “You don’t get better if you give up after a few tries.”

 

“I know,” Finn admitted, “but I still think I should test out some of the other places on base to see if I can help. I just slowed you guys down yesterday.”

 

Rose shrugged but the look in her eyes was one of understanding. “My friend Gulko works in the armory. I could introduce you to him, if you like. I think he and a few others are still taking inventory of what we have, especially since the people who arrived a few days ago brought several supply ships.”

 

Finn’s face lit up as he said, “Yes, that would be great.”

 

~*~*~

 

Over the next two weeks, Finn started to fall into a routine. He had breakfast each day with Rey and Rose and spent the majority of the days rotating through the various sectors the base had to offer. He learned quickly that he had preferences for the armory, medbay, and, upon a recommendation from General Organa, logistics. Support work also came naturally to him, he assumed this was because of his experience in sanitation, and he quickly made friends when he offered to help clean hangar 2 after a nasty fluid leak from one of the large supply ships.

 

Every evening, more people joined his table for dinner and he found himself introducing Rose and Rey to several of his new friends. Any doubts that he had harbored about joining the Resistance were soon squashed and he started to feel excited about the contributions he was making. The work around the base also helped distract him from the nagging feeling that something had gone wrong with Poe’s mission as there had been no word from him or any of the other pilots since their departures over twelve days before.

 

Rey listened to his worries but there was little she could offer except to listen. She’d been very clear about not wanting to offer him false hope and tried to distract him by inviting him, Rose, and several of their other friends to watch holofilms in the evenings. Rey had also invited him to try meditating with her but after falling asleep twice, Finn told her he’d stick to helping the maintenance crew keep the hangar clean.

 

Fifteen days after Poe had left for his mission, Finn was eating dinner with Rey, Rose, and Lenton. Several of their other friends, including Bo-Li and Qupp, had already left for the evening and Lenton and Rose had plans to join them in the newly converted rec room for a game of sabacc.

 

Just as the two of them were rising from the table to leave for their game, Rey bumped her shoulder against Finn’s to get his attention, nodding to where Snap and Iolo had just entered the mess hall. Finn grinned when he noticed them and waved to get their attention before shouting for the two pilots to join them.

 

Snap and Iolo nodded and made their way over, sliding into the seats across from Finn and Rey that Lenton and Rose had vacated. Before the two could leave, Finn got to his feet and quickly introduced Lenton to Snap and Iolo.

 

“We’re going to play sabacc,” Rose informed them once they’d shaken hands with Lenton. “You’re welcome to join us when you finish.”

 

Iolo shook his head and covered his mouth to hide a yawn. “I need to get some rest. It’s been a long two weeks.”

 

Snap nodded his agreement before saying to Rose, “Thanks for your help with my engine, everything was smooth.”

 

“Good!” Rose grinned and plucked at Lenton’s sleeve, indicating she was ready to leave. When Lenton nodded, Rose turned to Finn and kissed him quickly on the mouth. “Maybe join us later? I promise we’ll go slowly so you don’t lose every hand this time.”

 

Finn chuckled, remembering how badly he’d lost the previous night when Rose and Qupp had tried to teach him the game. “Maybe.”

 

“I’m not promising anything,” Lenton said with a grin before giving Finn a quick kiss of his own. He turned to Snap and Iolo, who were both staring at Lenton, Finn, and Rose with something like astonishment on their faces, and said, “Good to meet you.”

 

“Yeah…” Iolo replied slowly. He and Snap exchanged what Finn thought was a rather angry look with each other as Rose waved goodbye to the two pilots and followed Lenton out of the mess hall.

 

Finn walked around the table to reclaim his seat and was about to ask Iolo and Snap if everything was alright when Rey asked Snap a burst of questions about his X-wing engine. Wondering if perhaps the pilots did not like him very much, Finn slowly returned to his meal, trying to follow the very technical conversation Rey and Snap were having.

 

Once they had all finished eating, they left the mess hall together and Rey informed them that she was going to visit with Chewbacca, who was spending the evening making adjustments to the Millennium Falcon.

 

“He found a porg nest in the gunner’s area this morning,” she informed them, giggling at the memory and both Snap and Iolo cracked a smile. “I know you two are going to bed,” she said to Iolo and Snap, “but do you want to come, Finn?”

 

Finn shook his head. As much as he enjoyed spending time with Rey, he was feeling exhausted after a day of helping Gulko and the others in the armory. “I think I’m going to head to bed.”

 

Rey nodded at his words and stepped forward to give Finn a tight hug, smiling after he kissed her quickly. “Good night,” she said to the three of them before she turned and walked down the hall in the direction of hangar 1.

 

Finn waved to her and then turned to Snap and Iolo, who were wearing the same frustrated expression he had noticed in the mess hall. “What’s wrong?”

 

Snap and Iolo exchanged looks and then Snap sighed, saying, “Walk with us.”

 

Finn nodded with a growing sense of unease. He liked Poe’s friends and wanted them to like him but couldn’t understand why they seemed to be upset with him. “Is something wrong?” he asked as they walked towards the wing where the room Finn and Poe shared was located.

 

“Do you know when Poe’s coming back?” Iolo asked, not answering Finn’s question.

 

“No,” Finn replied, a pit growing in his stomach as he wondered if Iolo and Snap had more information about Poe’s mission than he did. “He said it would be about ten days but that was over two weeks ago.” He slowed and looked between Iolo and Snap, his concern growing. “Do you know if--?”

 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Snap replied shortly, cutting Finn off. “Ten days was just an estimate.” He nodded wordlessly to Iolo, who shrugged, and then turned back to Finn with an odd expression on his face. “Finn, can we be honest with you about something?”

 

Finn nearly tripped, wondering if Snap was about to give him bad news. Bracing himself he said slowly, “Of course.”

 

“Well, you seem like a friendly guy and we know Poe really likes you...” Iolo began, looking at Snap a bit helplessly.

 

Snap sighed again and said, “Look, there’s such a thing as too friendly.” He frowned and asked, “Does Poe know about you and the others? Because I have a hard time believing he’d be up for something like that.”

 

Finn stared at the two of them with complete incomprehension. He couldn’t understand why they would ask such a thing. Poe already knew Rey and Rose and seemed to enjoy their company. “Do you mean Lenton? Poe hasn’t met him yet but I don’t think he’s going to have a problem. Lenton’s been good to me.”

 

“You should talk to Poe about that,” Snap advised tightly and Finn thought the pilot was fighting down his temper.

 

“He’ll meet him eventually,” Finn replied, his frustration growing with Snap for questioning his choice of friends. He was ready for this conversation to be over and was relieved they were nearing the door to his room.

 

“If there’s no problem,” Iolo broke in, glancing in Snap’s direction, “you won’t mind if Snap or I say something to Poe when he returns, will you?”

 

“Sure, whatever you want,” Finn said more harshly than he’d meant to but he made no effort to apologize. “I don’t think he’s going to care what I do with my friends when he’s gone.”

 

“Alright,” Snap said tersely and Finn sensed the conversation was over. “Have a good night, Finn.”

 

Finn nodded once, fighting to keep his voice even as he said, “You too.”

 

They’d reached the door to his room and Finn just wanted to go inside and get ready for bed. Without a backwards glance, he pressed the button to open the door and walked inside.

 

~*~*~

 

Poe climbed out of his X-wing in hangar 2 of the Cardooine base in the late afternoon sixteen days after he’d left for his mission in Hutt Space.

 

“It’s good to be back,” he said to BB-8, who beeped at him in question. He stuck his hand in the pocket of his jacket, fingering the chip he’d retrieved as part of his mission. “We need to report to Leia, then we’ll find Finn and the others.”

 

BB-8 whistled and whirred, making Poe look to his right to see Snap walking quickly towards him.

 

“Hey!” Poe called, grinning and pulling Snap into a quick hug. “How’d everything go for you and Iolo?”

 

“Good,” Snap replied, shrugging. “Pretty routine. Nothing compared to what you were doing.”

 

Poe grinned toothily. “It _was_ exciting.”

 

Snap laughed. “I’m sure.” He looked over his shoulder and then dropped his voice to ask, “Poe, can I talk to you about something?”

 

Hearing Snap’s serious tone, Poe sobered. “Of course. Did you want to go somewhere private?”

 

“Only if you do,” Snap said quietly. “It’s about Finn.”

 

Poe frowned and glanced at BB-8 who beeped in concern. “What about him? Is he alright?”

 

“Yeah, he’s fine.” Snap grabbed Poe’s wrist and pulled him closer to Black One so they weren’t within earshot of anyone else in the hangar. “He’s…” Snap sighed and then muttered, “I’m not really sure how to tell you this, boss.”

 

“Tell me what?” Poe asked, confused. “What’s wrong with Finn?”

 

“He’s been cheating on you while you’ve been gone,” Snap replied, wincing at his own bluntness.

 

Poe took a step back, stunned at Snap’s revelation. “That can’t be right.”

 

“Iolo and I saw him,” Snap replied, looking unhappy at having to break the news to Poe. “He kissed three people in front of us and when talked to him about it, said he didn’t think it mattered what he did when you weren’t around.”

 

Poe blinked, unsure of what to say. He felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. “We-well, I guess it’s better to find out now rather than later.” He shook his head miserably. “I’ll talk to him but first I need to debrief with the General. Know where she is?”

 

Snap shrugged. “Probably in her office.” He hesitated and then reached out to squeeze Poe’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Thanks,” Poe replied and walked away dejectedly, BB-8 whirring angrily behind him. Poe just wanted to find Leia and give her the chip, he couldn’t let himself focus on what Snap had told him or he would forget something during his debrief.

 

As they made their way to General Organa’s office, BB-8 whistled to him in question but Poe just shook his head. “Not right now, buddy. We’ll find Leia first and _I’ll_ be the one to talk to Finn.” BB-8 whirred and Poe’s mouth quirked in a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he said, “No, you can’t shock him.”

 

He sighed when BB-8 beeped argumentatively and ran his hands through his hair, trying to pull himself together as he thought over the mission he’d just completed. Leia would be pleased with the information he’d gathered and the chip contained details about the First Order’s most recent weapon orders and the locations where the weapons were to be delivered. Poe was pretty sure he’d managed to scramble the request so that the First Order received faulty weapons and he knew Leia would be grateful for information about the delivery points. It meant the Resistance could target them.

 

They rounded a turn in the hall that would lead them to the room Leia was using as her office when Poe heard Finn’s voice. He paused, stomach clenching as he saw Finn and Leia emerge from her office.

 

“Thanks, General,” Finn said and to Poe’s shock, Finn leaned forward and kissed Leia briefly on the mouth.

 

Leia smiled at him and opened her mouth to say something when BB-8 surged forward, beeping and whistling furiously at the pair. She frowned down at the droid as Finn’s eyes widened in surprise, looking around and smiling brilliantly when his eyes met Poe’s.

 

“You’re back!” Finn called and he ran towards Poe, dodging BB-8 who had gotten the electro-prod out despite Poe’s orders not to.

 

“I don’t think you understand,” Poe heard the General tell BB-8 as his droid beeped angrily at her.

 

Poe was too confused to say anything when he felt Finn wrap his arms around his neck and pull him forward in a heated kiss. Tensing in surprise, Poe put his hands on Finn's shoulders and firmly pushed him away.

 

Finn frowned, eyes searching Poe’s face with concern as he asked, “Are you hurt?”

 

“We should talk.” He stepped out of Finn’s reach, nodding towards General Organa who was watching the two of them with interest and said crisply, “I need to speak with the General first.”

 

“Right,” Finn replied, stepping back sheepishly. “Sorry. I’ll be in our room if you want to find me after.”

 

Poe nodded once and walked over to Leia, following her into her office and ordering BB-8 to come with them when the little droid started to try and follow Finn.

 

When the door to her office closed, Leia settled Poe with an amused look. “Your droid seems to think I’m trying to steal your boyfriend, Commander.”

 

Poe ducked his head to hide the blush he knew was staining his cheeks. The last thing he’d wanted was for Leia to get involved in his love life. “Um, that’s not...” he began and Leia snorted.

 

“Don’t strain yourself,” she advised, settling herself behind the desk. “Poe, take a seat.”

 

Poe did as she told him and dug his hand into his pocket, withdrawing the chip and placing it on the desk in front of Leia. “It includes all of the First Order’s weapons orders and the locations of their current armories.”

 

“Thank you,” she told him and leaned forward, eyes sharp. “Now, tell me why you didn’t give that boy the homecoming kiss he deserved.”

 

Poe gaped at her, trying not to fidget like a naughty child. This was too much for him.

 

BB-8 whistled twice in response to the General’s request and Poe hissed at him to stop when Leia looked consideringly at BB-8.

 

“I see,” Leia commented, raising an eyebrow as she turned back Poe. “You need to stop teaching your droid that kind of language.” She chuckled at the look on Poe’s face and in a much kindlier voice asked, “Poe, do you know how the people on Hays Minor show their friends and loved ones how much they care about them?”

 

Poe frowned, not seeing what her question had to do with anything but he nodded. “They kiss them.”

 

“Yes,” Leia agreed. “And, do you know where Finn’s friend Rose Tico is from?”

 

“Hays Minor?” Poe asked, understanding dawning on him when Leia nodded. “Oh, so he’s been…”

 

“Yes,” Leia confirmed. “And if you know the custom of Hays Minor, then you know the kiss he gave me and the kisses he’s given his friends over the last few weeks don’t mean anything like what BB-8 here seems to think.”

 

Poe grimaced, wondering if he could find Snap to explain before returning to his room and apologizing to Finn for the cold reception.

 

Leia reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on Poe’s arm. “I know it’s not the same way you’d greet someone on Yavin Four but it’s been nice to see people expressing themselves more and it’s all thanks to Finn. I think that young man has a lot of love to offer.” She squeezed his hand and then let go, leaning back in her chair. “And, Poe, I think that if he knew he’d done something that hurt you, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.”

 

Poe nodded, thinking over what she’d said. He still felt rather raw and knew he needed to talk to Finn but was relieved to have an explanation. “Thanks.”

 

“Now,” Leia said, picking the chip up from the table, “I’d like your report.”

 

~*~*~

 

Finn jumped off of his bed when Poe entered the room, a nervous expression on his face. “I’m sorry for embarrassing you in front of the General,” he said in a rush.

 

“Huh?” Poe asked, taken aback by the apology and stepping to the side to let BB-8 enter the room. “You didn’t.”

 

“Oh.” Finn frowned. “You just, uh, didn’t seem very happy to see me.”

 

“Finn, do you kiss anyone else the way you kiss me?” Poe asked suddenly and Finn’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

 

“No!” Finn cried, staring at Poe. “Why would you ask me that?”

 

“I just know you’ve been kissing your friends,” Poe replied lightly, motioning for BB-8 to dock into the charging port after the droid whistled at the two of them.

 

“Yeah,” Finn said, feeling a little lost, “because I care about them. It’s nothing like how I feel about you.”

 

Poe stepped forward, opening his arms so that Finn could step into his embrace. “Glad to hear it.” He gently tipped Finn’s chin up with his hand and kissed him softly on the mouth. “You’re a good man.”

 

“Thanks,” Finn whispered and he kissed Poe once more before pulling back and saying, “Um, don’t take this the wrong way, but you should shower.”

 

Poe laughed and went to do as Finn suggested.

 

While Poe showered, Finn went to the mess hall and returned to the room with two plates of food for dinner. He’d noticed that there were dark circles under Poe’s eyes and thought the other man might appreciate an early night. When he returned to the room, he found Poe laying across the two beds they had pushed together over two weeks before, wearing loose undershorts and a plain black shirt.

 

“I brought dinner,” Finn announced as the door slid shut behind him.

 

Poe sat up slowly, smiling gratefully. “Thank you.”

 

“I ran into Snap,” Finn said, offering a plate and cutlery to Poe as he carefully sat on the bed with his own dinner.

 

“Yeah?” Poe asked, glancing sidelong at Finn as he started to eat. “Did he say anything?”

 

Finn nodded. “He apologized for, uh, meddling in our relationship.” Finn looked at Poe curiously and then said, “You know, I just thought he didn’t like me. I didn’t realize he thought I was messing around and trying to date other people behind your back.”

 

“I’m sorry, Finn, I--” Poe began but Finn shook his head to stop him.

 

“No, you don’t need to be,” Finn said quickly, pressing his leg against Poe’s in an effort to be close. “I didn’t understand how greeting kisses might look to someone who isn’t from Hays Minor like Rose is.”  

 

“Yeah,” Poe agreed, “but I’m sorry if he upset you. I spoke with him about it earlier.”

 

“No, it’s alright. We talked too,” Finn replied, thinking back to how apologetic Snap had been when he’d ask to speak privately with him in the mess hall. Finn had a feeling that despite the rocky start, he and the other pilot would become fast friends. “He’s one of your best friends and he was just trying to look out for you. Honestly, I’m glad you’ve got people on your squad who love you so much.”

 

Poe kissed Finn’s cheek and then rested his forehead against Finn’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

 

Finn kissed the top of Poe’s head and then gently nudged Poe so that he was sitting up again. “Eat your dinner. I want to show you how much I missed you before we go to bed.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Poe asked with interest, raising an eyebrow. “And how do you propose to do that?”

 

Finn smiled in a way that showed all of his teeth as he replied, “Sexual relations.”

 

Poe threw back his head and laughed while Finn grinned, pleased that his teasing had produced the desired response. He was excited that Poe was back and couldn’t fault Snap for confronting him for what Snap had interpreted as infidelity. However, Finn didn’t want to continue talking about the misunderstanding; he wanted to spend the rest of the night focusing on their feelings for each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I love these characters so much and fandom is basically consuming me right now. Feel free to chat with me about stormpilot any time :)


End file.
